1
as in to bewilder
to throw into a state of mental uncertainty
the similar-sounding words "censure" and "censor" often confuse people
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to complicate
to make (something) unclear to the understanding
stop confusing the issue with irrelevant facts
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to mistake
to fail to differentiate (a thing) from something similar or related
a lot of people confuse popular fame with enduring achievement
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to embarrass
to throw into a state of self-conscious distress
she was confused by the shocking bluntness of his marriage proposal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to disrupt
to undo the proper order or arrangement of
vandals had hopelessly confused the papers in the office files
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of confuse
The tech hiring landscape in the United States is confusing these days.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Pros & Cons With the reveal of the AMD Ryzen Z2 processor back at CES 2025, AMD promised a revolution in PC gaming handhelds, but this market is nothing if not confusing.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
No one will confuse the Panthers’ receivers — at least the ones left standing against the Patriots — with members of a 4×100 relay team.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
But Sage really confused me this week.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confuse
IEEE Spectrum, 2 Oct. 2025
Pros & Cons With the reveal of the AMD Ryzen Z2 processor back at CES 2025, AMD promised a revolution in PC gaming handhelds, but this market is nothing if not confusing.
—Zackery Cuevas, PC Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
No one will confuse the Panthers’ receivers — at least the ones left standing against the Patriots — with members of a 4×100 relay team.
—Joseph Person, New York Times, 2 Oct. 2025
But Sage really confused me this week.
—Dalton Ross, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for confuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for confuse
Verb
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The designs were puckish and gender-bending, evoking both awe and repulsion—the sort of clothing that titillates lovers of conceptual fashion and bewilders the uninitiated.—
Ana Karina Zatarain,
New Yorker,
19 Sep. 2025
-
Cody Meissner, a pediatric professor at Dartmouth's Geisel School of Medicine who has served on ACIP in the past—arguably the most qualified of Kennedy's new lineup—was bewildered at why the committee was rehashing the issue addressed years ago.—
Beth Mole,
ArsTechnica,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Moscow has also touted a Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) capability, enabling warheads to be placed on low-Earth orbital trajectories toward their targets, a profile that complicates early detection and interception.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Oct. 2025
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After excluding visits for VOC complicated by other diagnoses that necessitated an ESI 2 and visits for other acute sickle cell disease complications, the study included 66 ED visits by 41 patients.—
Hannah Millington,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When the user clicks that link, the browser mistakes the malicious prompt for an instruction from the user—and begins carrying it out.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
7 Oct. 2025
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These events are part of a series observing the two-hundred-and-fiftieth anniversary of the United States, but no one will mistake them for triumphalist propaganda.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The minor student created memes and posted them on the Instagram account to embarrass and make fun of the students.—
Alec Johnson,
jsonline.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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That behavior is embarrassing anywhere, and goes against all of golf etiquette.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On play one, Moore reads the tight end throwback pass and disrupts the catch (or else the tight end might still be running).—
Dane Brugler,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
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On one hand, companies like Upwork and Fiverr have suffered as generative AI has disrupted simple contract jobs like copyediting and translation.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Tutu Atwell’s role is perplexing Every fan base has some trademark bits.—
Nate Atkins,
New York Times,
1 Oct. 2025
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Taylor is accustomed to playing forceful characters who have perplexing emotions about motherhood, and in A Thousand and One, Taylor earned her stripes as a performer and acclaim.—
Essence,
Essence,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Loren insists that less prominent creators looking to earn more money by blurring the line between professional and personal could ultimately put them at risk, marking a stark warning for parents who may have children considering the side hustle.—
Julia Bonavita,
FOXNews.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Together, O’Neill and Alicia navigate a rabbit hole of deranged folk singers, psychotic cops, boxing promoters, line dancing enthusiasts, and worst of all, podcasters, the truth blurs, bodies stack, and the nature of their search comes into question.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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From the second possession onward, the Chiefs’ defense flustered Lamar Jackson, generating two turnovers for the second straight matchup.—
Pete Sweeney,
Kansas City Star,
2 Oct. 2025
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At least several players appeared flustered, with Golden and wideout Dontayvion Wicks seemingly throwing up their hands in confusion.—
Matt Schneidman,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Confuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/confuse. Accessed 10 Oct. 2025.
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